Originally called the
City of Naples, the ''Frank O'Connor'' was built in
West Bay City, Michigan in 1892. The vessel was renamed in 1916. On September 29, 1919, ''Frank O'Connor'' left
Buffalo, New York en route to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin carrying 3,000 tons of coal. Three days later, she passed through the
Straits of Mackinac and was expected to make port ahead of schedule. On October 3 at 4:00 p.m., a fire broke out in the
bow. Roughly an hour later, the ship's steering gear was destroyed by the fire, leaving it drifting in the water about two miles off the coast of
Cana Island. The keeper of the
Cana Island Light had noticed the burning vessel from land and, along with his assistant, was able to tow the ''O'Connor
s crew on their lifeboats to shore. A portion of the Frank O'Connor''s cargo was later recovered, but the ship itself remained lost. Despite the fire, most of ''Frank O'Connor''s machinery remained intact and upright, making it a popular archaeological and recreational site. The ship is owned by the State of Wisconsin and the site is managed by the
Wisconsin Historical Society and the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She lies in of water about off Cana Island. ==References==